The fruit of the Spirit is ... temperance. God has made the deposit in us; we have all that we need to live a life of victory. If any man be in Christ...
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit is self-control or temperance. This is not self, self-control. It is the fruit of the Spirit; it is living under the Spirit’s control.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
The heart beat of Galatians is learning to live in the liberty that Christ provided; the command is do not be entangled again… Walking in the Spirit is a privilege available to every true believer; your liberty is on the inside of you already. Remember, Christ in me the hope of glory.
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
For 9 weeks we have looked at walking in the Spirit or walking in the flesh. It is of the utmost importance for every believer to understand if you are Christ’s you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Romans 6:11 tells the believer to reckon themselves dead to sin and alive unto God. Like Jesus died to sin once and is now alive unto God, we need to acknowledge what Jesus Christ has done in us! Some struggle with sin because their tradition has taught the they are a sinner. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation… live in the truth.
SELF-CONTROL OR KJV TEMPERANCE
G1466. egkrateia, eng-krat'-i-ah; from G1468; self-control (espec. continence):--temperance.
I like the word continence and temperance; under the control of the Spirit.
Acts 24:24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you."
Felix was an ungodly man who lived with no self control. His wife Drusilla came through adultery and she left her husband to marry Felix. Although govern of the land Felix had a fragile political wire to walk. He was appointed by Rome but many factions were under his authority; because his wife was Jewish he had done many favors for the Jewish people. When Paul was preaching self-control it was at his own peril. Clearly the apostle Paul preached faith in Jesus Christ is the way to righteousness and self-control. Christ in you is the way to yield to the fruit of the Spirit temperance.
2 Peter 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
The fruit of the Spirit is not something we have to find or try to develop in ourself or by our own strength. God’s divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness; it comes through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. God’s heart beat is for every believer to walk in His exceedingly great and precious promises; God’s desire is for every believer to be partakers of the divine nature. Your salvation has brought you the escape from the corruption that is in the world.
Notice verse 5 giving all diligence! Walk in the Spirit requires diligence; it will not happen by accident or by osmosis. God has put all that is necessary in you; but you must add or nurture that which is within you. God calls us to nurture our faith, our virtue, our knowledge, our temperance, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These are characteristics of the Spirit that are in us; we are called to add, nurture, stir up what God has deposited into us. Speak in agreement with God’s word that it is in you.
2 Peter 1:8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
If you lay hold of it and make it yours to an abounding measure, you will not be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word is blunt, he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness. This one has put out of mind the things that Jesus Christ has done for them. Verse 10 and 11 brings us a guarantee. If we will be even more diligent to make our call and election sure we will never stumble. Awesome! An abundant entrance will be supplied to you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Yes the fruit of the Spirit is self-control.
Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Put off, be renewed, and put on! Put off the old man and recognize yourself dead indeed to sin. be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Believe what God has said about you! Put on the new man. Every believer has been made a new creation in Christ Jesus. According to God, this new creation was made in true righteousness and holiness. The characteristics of the Spirit are in you because that is how God made you when you were born again. Put on the new man and live.
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
This passage is a reflection of every one who has truly been born again.
Colossians 1:26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
The mystery from the beginning of the ages is the will of the Father for every believer, “Christ in you, the hope of Glory”. The presenting of every man perfect in Christ Jesus requires surrendering to the teaching and wisdom of God found exclusively in grace.
John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
The victory is found in the abiding! Abide in the vine, abide in His word, abide in His love and you will be fruitful and your desires will be fulfilled by God Himself. Hear the call of God come and walk in the Spirit; you will bear all the fruit of the Spirit. Victory is yours believer!!
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